Ester Ledecka, the Winter Olympics athlete who made history by winning gold in two different sports at the same Games, has faced a challenging decision for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Games. The Czech star has opted to forgo the alpine downhill event to focus on pursuing a third consecutive Olympic gold in snowboarding’s giant slalom due to an unavoidable scheduling conflict. As both events are scheduled for the same day, it is impossible for her to compete in both disciplines.
Despite making efforts to resolve the conflict, including an unsuccessful appeal to the International Olympic Committee with support from Johan Eliasch, the head of skiing’s governing body FIS, Ledecka had to come to terms with the situation. Expressing her disappointment, she mentioned that although she shed a few tears over the decision, she understood the challenges of coordinating the Olympic program. She highlighted her unique achievement as the only athlete to qualify for an event in two sports for the third time, hoping it would be taken into consideration.
The final of snowboarding’s parallel giant slalom is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Livigno, Italy on Feb. 8, while the women’s downhill event will take place in Cortina at 11:30 a.m. on the same day. The distance between the two venues is approximately a four-hour drive.
Jiří Kejval, the head of the Czech Olympic Committee, acknowledged the unfortunate circumstances and stated that, at present, the program is unlikely to change despite their efforts to address the issue.
In the previous Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Ledecka stood out as the sole female athlete to qualify for both alpine skiing and snowboarding events in 2018. She achieved a remarkable feat by clinching gold in the super-G and the parallel giant slalom. In the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, she successfully defended her snowboarding gold medal and secured fifth place in the super-G, 27th in the downhill, and fourth in the alpine combined events. Additionally, she won a bronze medal in the downhill at this year’s alpine skiing world championships.
Looking ahead, Ledecka is expected to participate in the women’s super-G event at the next year’s Olympics, scheduled for Feb. 12. This opportunity presents a chance for her to continue her pursuit of Olympic success in alpine skiing.